Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa

When a big corporation takes over a small radio station in Norwich and starts firing people, DJ Pat Farrell (Colm Meaney) is one of the victims but he returns with a shotgun… Steve Coogan’s character Alan Partridge, the moronic radio and TV personality who starred in several TV shows, comes to the big screen in a surprisingly hilarious comedy that overcomes the challenges of its formula and narrow premise, a hostage situation that really is Alan’s fault. Fans may find the film and the jokes overly familiar, but unlike many other similar comedies this one stays funny and engaging throughout its silly story. Effective as media satire as well. Coogan and Meaney are both terrific.

Last word: “Alan 20 years ago seems very crude and a little dated now. When I started writing it with Patrick Marber and Armando Iannucci, I would get angry. I felt they were being too cruel and mocking – like pulling the legs off an insect. I feel an affinity with Alan because there is quite a lot of me in him and I use him as a bin for anything that is bothering me. So I’m not satisfied with just curling your lip and sneering. [Now] he has to reflect the zeitgeist. He was a rather intolerant Daily Mail-reading Little Englander and he has to fit in with the new liberal consensus. David Cameron now at least pretends to like gays. You have to reflect that.” (Coogan, Time Out)

The Grades

TV shows, miniseries and TV movies (including some films made only for streaming services) are graded this way:ABOVE AVERAGE
AVERAGE
BELOW AVERAGE

Welcome

A blog on movies & TV, Hollywood and beyond.

I studied film at Halmstad University and practical filmmaking at the New York Film Academy. Now I’m a critic for the Swedish daily Aftonbladet. Opinions expressed on this personal website are solely mine and not related to Aftonbladet.